Award-winning progressive rock ensemble Big Big Train release their 16th studio album ‘Woodcut’ via InsideOutMusic, their first full-length conceptual work. Formed in Bournemouth in 1990, the multinational lineup now delivers a continuous narrative centered on creativity, sacrifice, and The Artist, a character walking the line between inspiration and madness.
The new single “The Sharpest Blade” features violinist Clare Lindley sharing lead vocals with frontman and producer Alberto Bravin. Lindley explains, “Having gone for a walk in the woods… he begins to carve the heartwood… It’s so good that he feels it is perhaps not of his own hand.” The track blends storytelling precision with sweeping melodic depth
Big Big Train also recently launched The Artist’s Workshop, a special site dedicated to all things ‘Woodcut’ where fans can explore and unlock hidden content.
Woodcut feels like a Big Big Train record quite unlike any that came before—an assured union of music, storytelling and visual invention. The album is graced with a striking cover design from Dorset (England) based artist Robin Mackenzie – a black and white woodcut print, of course, derived from a woodcut which the band commissioned from him specifically for the album.
Available as a Limited CD + Blu-ray edition, including extensive liner notes as well as Dolby Atmos & 5.1 Surround Sound mixes by Shawn Dealey of Sweetwater Studios, the album will also be available as a stunning Gatefold 180g 2LP with special embossed cover, Standard CD Jewelcase & Digitally in both Stereo and Dolby Atmos versions.
Featuring 16 tracks across 66-minutes of runtime, Woodcut feels epic without outstaying its welcome. From the intimacy of ‘Inkwell Black’ to the grandeur of ‘Counting Stars’, Woodcut is a defiant analogue statement in a digital age—a handcrafted, deeply human exploration of art, faith and endurance.
The full track-listing is as follows:
1. Inkwell Black 00:56
2. The Artist 07:16
3. The Lie of the Land 02:55
4. The Sharpest Blade 04:16
5. Albion Press 05:46
6. Arcadia 05:46
7. Second Press 00:37
8. Warp and Weft 03:45
9. Chimaera 05:37
10. Dead Point 05:28
11. Light Without Heat 03:22
12. Dreams in Black and White 02:34
13. Cut and Run 06:19
14. Hawthorn White 01:54
15. Counting Stars 05:40
16. Last Stand 03:34